Product description

The classic novel of the Second World War that relates in devastating detail the 24-hour story of an allied bombing raid. Bomber is a novel of war. There are no victors, no vanquished. There are simply those who remain alive, and those who die. Bomber follows the progress of an Allied air raid through a period of twenty-four hours in the summer of 1943. It portrays all the participants in a terrifying drama, both in the air and on the ground, in Britain and in Germany. In its documentary style, it is unique. In its emotional power it is overwhelming. Len Deighton has been equally acclaimed as a novelist and as an historian. In Bomber he has combined both talents to produce a masterpiece.

Author information

Born in London, Len Deighton served in the RAF before graduating from the Royal College of Art (which recently elected him a Senior Fellow). While in New York City working as a magazine illustrator he began writing his first novel, The Ipcress File, which was published in 1962. He is now the author of more than thirty books of fiction and non-fiction. At present living in Europe, he has, over the years, lived with his family in ten different countries from Austria to Portugal.

Review quote

'A massively different novel... the effect is - quite literally - devastating' Sunday Times 'A massive and superbly mobilised tragedy of the machines which men make to destroy themselves. Masterly and by far Mr Deighton's best'. Douglas Hurd, The Spectator 'A magnificent story... the characters lean out of the pages' Daily Mirror 'For sheer readability he has no peer' The Standard 'The magnificent Bomber is rich with historical detail' The Times

Editorial reviews

Len Deighton's stellar career began with The Ipcress File in 1962, and this is probably his greatest single book. First published in 1970, it remains as impressive as ever today. Concentrating on one Allied air raid over Germany in the period of a day in 1943, Deighton handles every aspect and every character of the raid (from the bomber pilot to the inhabitants of the targeted village) in astonishing detail, and few would deny that this is one of the greatest of all war novels. Deighton is famous for his assiduous documentary research and that pays off handsomely here - few books outside War and Peace give us such a brilliantly detailed vision. If you haven't acquainted itself with this remarkable piece of fiction, do so now. (Kirkus UK)